The aspiring musician meets his love rival for the first time
by lucidreamerry
Summary: A pleasant day on the year 1933, Claire Stanfield met a young man. This is my one-shot story about Upham and why he can't stop staring at Chane. I advise readers to read the light novels first or have a little knowledge about this character. Novels where Upham was mentioned : 1931 special chapter and hidden episode, 1932 summer? and 1935 B. I haven't read C yet.


**Author's message : **This is my first ever fanfic and english is not my first language but I tried my best to minimize errors. I read almost all the light novels except for the 1935 C. I haven't finish reading that. I hope you like it.

**Afternoon, June 1933**

Felix Walken, a legendary assassin formerly known as Claire Stanfield, Rail tracer or Vino, is now happily skipping towards the street in New York where his fiance's apartment is located. He just finished a job for the second largest west side mafia. It was an easy kill, atleast according to him. He needed to obliterate a whole gang dealing with drugs and kidnapping children at the mafia's turf. Felix ended the fight after only several minutes so he can visit his girlfriend. It must have been done faster if there were no child hostages to rescue.

Everything is as simple as walking in the park because he believes that the world belongs to him. That was before he meets Chane Laforet, his beloved fiance. New challenges came in his way. The first one was to find her again which he accomplished last year. Second is to make her fall in love with him as much as he is to her. Her father and his people also add to his concerns but he is confident that he will triumph no matter what the future holds.

Felix was one building away when he saw that the lights in her room are out. Suddenly, he remembered what day it is. Chane spents most of her time living in Genoard's mansion. There are only few days a week when she stays in her old group's apartment and Thursday is not one of those.

_That's so stupid of me. Time to go back now. _He was about to turn around when he saw an ordinary looking young man stopped in front of the apartment building. He keeps pacing left and right looking at a certain floor. Felix wouldn't mind any of these if the man's view was not fixed at exactly where Chane lives. The assassin decided to talk to him.

" Hey there! Looking for someone? " The black haired young man was startled by his sudden appearance but by now, he is already used to surprise encounters thanks to the events on his last mission with his former terrorist group. He calmed himself faster than usual and smiled at the stranger.

" No mister, I'm planning to buy a unit in here, checking it out and all." He cannot say that he's finding out if some of his old colleagues, particularly one person, are staying in here. They were a terrorists and if someone is investigating the place, he doesn't want to get involved. He has to be careful since he doesn't know the identity of the guy talking to him out of nowhere.

Felix thought he's lying about something but didn't push it. " ..and you like that particular apartment on that floor? " He pointed to the direction of his fiance's unit.

" Yes, I like the view from up there. It will inspire me to compose beautiful music." This is half true. He really admired the place because of the city lights at night when they secretly conducted their meetings in there.

" Ah, so you're a musician. By the way, I'm Felix Walken. My girlfriend lives there so I'm afraid you can't buy that one." The young man told him his name and they shook hands. " Upham ey? Nice to meet you."

Upham never imagined Chane having a boyfriend as energetic and plain (his pov) as Felix so he concluded that the unit was bought by another person after the disbandment of their group. He lost another lead and it dampened his mood. Felix read this and tapped his shoulder.

" What's with that face? You'll find something better, I can help you."

" Thank you Mr. Felix but I'm fine."

" Just call me Felix. You don't look much younger than me."

" Alright Felix it is. I need to go now. 'Got some work to do." He's not comfortable with the stranger. Eventhough Felix seems friendly, he can sense that something is wrong with the guy. Upham takes pride in character reading and his senses are better than before.

" Wait, work? This time of day? "

Felix wasn't following him, they were heading the same way.

" Yes, I have diff. jobs. Our Dr. Fred has many rich customers. Finding job in this Depression became a lot easier for me. In exchange, I became in charge of preparing breakfast and sometimes dinner in his housing facility where I live." They are currently walking together towards the main street.

" Instruments and maintenance must cost you a lot." The name Dr. Fred ringa a bell but he didn't ask about it.

" Sure is but that's not the only reason." Upham looked absentmindedly on the road. His mood was lifted after remembering his former colleague. Felix watched him as he daydreams.

" Must be for your girl. 'Have the same reaction when I think of my fiance."

" I want to be successful so I can have the confidence to face her father. I'll ask for her hand in marriage and then buy her a house by the mountains. I'll show her what a family truly is."

Felix smiled widely at the young man. " Sounds like a good story. Finally, some guy I can talk to about relationships. You see, Firo is hopeless, Bro Keith won't talk and Berga is useless as can be. Luck bro seems knowledgeable but I can't take some advice from someone without a girlfriend."

" ...What?"

Felix didn't care if Upham has no idea who are those people he is talking about.

" I want to invite you for a you know~ Guy talk! People in love must support each other."

" You misunderstood. Cha-"

The assassin grabbed his wrist and led the way to a restaurant. " You deserve to have some slack. It will revive your energy and besides, you still have plenty more time to cook for dinner. An hour or two will do. I'll pay for it."

His guts tells him not to decline the man's wish no matter what so Upham chose to follow. Felix let go of his wrist but he didn't try to escape.

_Why do I always end up meeting weirdos? I just wanted to see Chane again. _

They entered the establishment and took a seat near a window. They ordered right away : two pastas and fruit juices.

" My bros often complain that I talk endlessly about my fiance so this time, you go first." They both decided not to tell the name of their love one. Upham still can't dismiss his idea that Felix is a secret investigator. He became that paranoid after a lot of coincidences happened to him. On the other hand, Felix doesn't want to tell someone he just met about Chane's name for safety purposes. He doesn't like to say a different name either. He planned to listen to the guy's story first to accurately judge his character.

" It's in the year 1921 when I first saw her. Where exactly- I'll keep the important details behind because the truth is I didn't trust you at all. Hope you don't mind."

" Haha...you're surprisingly honest! Why would you think I will use the information you're about to tell ? But yeah, go on. Some people even put a price on their stories."

They have different groups of people in mind who sell stories but there's no way for them to find that out. "R-right. Well it all started in my hometown...

**A town somewhere near a river. 1921**

( We will use 'Upham' because I don't know his real name.)

" Bye old man! " A blackhaired boy around the age of ten, ran as fast as he can while hugging a box with both arms. He was dressed plainly but the house he's living in can be classified as middle class.

He passed a man around his sixties which we can assume as his grandfather. The man lifted his eyes away from his wood carving work and turned to his grandson. They have a small business of making musical instruments. Their business was passed on through generations. They mostly make instruments from the string or woodwind family but they venture on other kinds depending on their budget.

" You're going to that old house kid?"

The kid looked back and smiled. " Wow gramps, you really know me! "

" You go there almost everyday! What is so surprising about that Upham ? But if you're really heading to that house, you must know something. I'm not sure about this. Your father said that he saw someone asking the realtors about the house. It's yesterday morning when he delivered Mr. Thompson's purchase. Neil saw...I can't recall... wait, a young man with his son, daughter ?"

Upham leaned on the door and stomped his foot repeatedly. " Come on. It will be dinner time soon. Let's end it here gramps. Are they staying in there now or not?"

" ...I'm not sure."

" Well, I guess not. Who would move to a new house that fast? I mean, there's cleaning and stuff. I'm wasting my time here. Tell dad I left! " With that, he dashed outside without waiting for the old man's reply.

[ You really talk like that even as a kid ? It doesn't suite your looks. ]

[ You have something to say about my looks? ]

[ Well at first glance, one can judge you as a normal whimp. A weakling who will run in a corner with the sound of thunder, figuratively speaking. Some would think of you as a gentleman who abides the law of woman courting and the country. But that doesn't erase the fact that you- ] _He said it all without reservations._

[ Will you stop! Damn, do I really look like that? ]

[ If you ask me-]

[ LET'S GO BACK TO MY STORY! TRY NOT TO INTERRUPT. PLEASE.]

[ _Felix shrugged and rested his cheek on his palm._]

The sun is lower in the west sky, when Upham reached the house near the river banks. It's a white semi-concrete house as big as theirs but it was rundown a bit. The nearest house from it is in a five minute walking distance.

Upham surveyed the area beyond the fence but he couldn't hear or see anyone. He decided to jump over the fence after a minute.

[ What I saw beyond the fence, both captivated and scared me. A beautiful black haired girl was standing in front of me, holding a knife centimeters from my neck! She wasn't there moments ago! ]

[ A knife ?]

[ ..N-no, I mean wife, wipe-r. A wiper. You know, things for wiping the floor. That's what we call it. ]

[ Mop? ]

[ R-right. Moving on...]

" Who are you ?" The girl said with her lovely but monotone voice.

" I-I u-used to go hhere to p-practice my violin." He opened the box he's holding and slowly took out the musical instrument with his trembling hands. One clumsy move and his blood will be spilt. "See?" She still didn't lower her weapon. " I...my name is Upham. I l-live nearby and p,play here. I swear! Pleasetakethatawayfromme! "

" Please go. Father will be back later." The girl brought down and sheathed her large knife- too large for her, in Upham's mind. There are other unusual things she noticed about the girl. She doesn't smile despite her young look and the air around her is like the deepest part of the ocean. Calm but mysterious and somewhat dangerous. It didn't stop him from admiring the girl. She was wearing a black dress. Her long black hair emphasized her golden eyes and made more beautiful by the afternoon sun.

The young girl felt uncomfortable with his gaze.

" Don't come back here." She turned around and walked back to the front door.

" Wait! What's your name?"

She looked at him and then at the ground. " Chane" She entered the door and closed it before he can ask another question.

[ _Upham changed the color of her eyes and hair in his story. He also told Felix that her name is Clarisse. He plans to change all the names, locations and some details._ I went home and told my grandparents and dad about the most beautiful girl I ever saw. Of course, I edited the story a little for them. My grandparents was unconvinced that she's exceptionally cute but my father vouched for me. I never bothered telling my friends and schoolmates about her. Kid's are selfish and I'm not yet ten back there. It's easy because Ch-larisse didn't go to school and my friends hated coming with me at the old house just to listen to my music. His father taught her the things she needs to know and they were together most of the time, never joining social gatherings.]

Days passed after they first met. Upham changed his route to and from school so he could walk in front of Chane's house or climb a nearby tree just to observe and catch a glimpse of her. He had to wake up earlier because the distance doubled but it was worth it. He found out many things about her.

1. Chane only lives with her father. Sometimes, they have visitors, but most of them are scary men. They hire a maid to clean the house and do the laundry every weekends.

2. Chane's father, Huey, teaches her a lot of things - from academic subjects to fighting. There are a few men who come and teach Chane some new skills but she learns fast. They come and go before Chane could share a bond with them. This is also hard since Huey watches them and he didn't allow petty talks.

3. Huey is always inside the house and the young Upham believed that he is a writer or something. It doesn't seem that they are having financial problems.

4. Chane never smiled or laughed but Upham feels that she is happy whenever she's with her father. He noticed how her eyes glow and how her facial features soften. If Huey leaves the house, Chane comes with him 95% of the time.

5. Chane is a girl with few words. She always listen to her father. Upham finds their relationship strange and sad.

Weeks later, he noticed that Chane stays at their front door more frequently. Upham knew that Chane does this while waiting for her father. Three days passed before Upham gathered enough strength to ask.

" Chane, is your father gone? " Whenever he remembers this question, he cringes on how insensitive it sounded. He didn't mean gone as dead obviously but still...

" Father told me not to talk to you." She went back inside without giving him a second glance. Upham was upset but he still didn't want to give up on befriending her.

Another day went by without Huey coming back. People deliver food or groceries to their house so Upham's not worried if she's surviving. What he was worried about is that she was lonelier. He started bringing his instruments again. He knows how to play a lot of instruments but it doesn't mean that he mastered all of it. Chane still won't talk to him so he planned to communicate with her through music. First, he brought his flute. He brought a harmonica and a violin for the following days. She still didn't utter a word but he knew that she listens and he could catch her watching him sometimes.

A good thing happened in the fourth day. Upham was playing a song with a violin when Chane started singing along with it. He was so surprised that he stopped playing. Chane halted singing too. He commenced playing the violin again and they both sang along. He loved her voice. It was gentle and pleasant to the ears just like the sound of rustling leaves being blown by a rare wind on a summer day.

When the song ended, Upham saw her smile a little. It's not directed to him but to the sky.

" Father used to sing that song to me when I was smaller."

" Really? What other songs did he sang? I can play it for you! "

Chane was reminded of his presence and her cheeks were tinged with light pink. She abruptly stood up and went back to open the door. Upham bowed down his head with disappointment. Before Chane stepped in and closed the door, she said 'thank you'. It wasn't that loud but it reached his ears and made him skip happily as he went home that evening.

Next day, Upham excitedly went to her house again. He spent last night's dinner asking his family to suggest songs that was popular three to five years ago but his efforts was all in vain. When he arrived, the house was empty. He jumped over the fence but no Chane came out. He checked the doors and windows but it was all locked. The limited furnitures they brought disappeared too. He didn't waste time and confirmed it to the realtor. Mr. Thompson told him that they moved to New York before the sun shone. Huey just left a parcel with the key, title and a month's rent along with a letter., in their mail box. Chane is gone just like a dream.

Hanging on his last hope to see her again, Upham came back the other day. He saw an envelope on the tree where he usually watch Chane. Thinking it's from her, he almost torn the letter while opening it. He was shaken when he read it for it's a letter from her father.

_I know who you are and I'm aware of your fascination with my daughter. I didn't stop you from watching her but I won't tolerate you talking and influencing Chane. Don't feel so bad about this. We left because of my work and not because of you. We will never come back. You better move on from your infatuation._

_P.S. I might have took you as a test subject if you're not so plain. Focus on your music. With enough practice, you can be better and less normal._

He fully comprehended the second half of the letter many years after.

[ That incident really broke my heart. I missed her a lot but I was still young to follow her to New York. My father won't let me either. He wanted me to study and take over the business. ]

[ Longing and frustration. When my fiance and I parted ways before, I couldn't stop thinking of her too even if I was in an important mission. But I believe for a fact that if a person is bound to play an important role in your life, you will meet them again no matter how long it will take. Note that. You don't hear words of wisdom that great everyday.]

[ Yah, you're unbelievable. ]

[ Just don't call me a genius. _He didn't even trace the sarcasm on Upham's reply or he just ignored it._]

[ _Upham sighed and continued retelling his story. _]

**November 1929 - January 1931**

Years after Chane left, Upham's grandparents both died in a car accident. It's the second tragedy after her mother's death while giving birth to him. His dad was not that good in handling business. His worker copied their ideas, tricked them with insurances and built his own shop. They closed their shop after four years of struggling. His father said it was just temporary but after a year, they still didn't reopen their warehouse/shop. They sold their house and some furnitures. Upham and his father had to live in a small house. His dad worked as a construction worker while Upham served as a waiter. He can't do hard jobs with the fear that he will hurt his hands. Playing music is what connects her to Chane and he doesn't want to lose that ability for as long as he lives.

Upham didn't finish his studies because he was busy helping his father on deliveries and also due to lack of money. When his father remarried, Upham made up his mind to try his luck outside the state where he was born in. He didn't have to think twice about the destination. His father understood and gave his approval.

More than two months before the year 1929 ended, Upham was already roaming around the streets of New York looking for Chane while finding a suitable job. He only brought a few instruments and personal items. He earned his daily expenses from playing songs on the street. Later, he learned and experienced the effects of the increasing phenomenon known as Great Depression.

Losing hope and feeling desperate, Upham almost lost his mind and tried to rob a wealthy looking guy. The man fought back. Upham picked up a few moves from watching Chane before and he used it against him. With that and his unusual agressiveness borne from hunger, the man lose to him. Instead of handling him money, the man offered him a job. After his chat with the man, Upham realized that the job he's talking about was not considered decent. He was given a day to think about it. After debating to himself over and over, he let the man recruit him in their organization. An organization he will later discover as a terrorist group called Lemures.

[ After an old geezer heard me play, he told me to join their orchestra. He said he was looking for young talents like me. That's when I found out that my Ch-larisse belonged to their group as well. If you don't think that's destiny, what could it be? ]

On the day Upham saw the older and more captivating Chane, his heartbeat escalated and he was cemented on the spot. The man who recruited him crumpled his hair.

" Don't be fooled kid. That flower has her thorns, the greatest knife wielder in our group. A semi-active member who is also the daughter of our main boss, Master Huey Laforet."

" O-okay."

" I will try to introduce you to her later but don't get your hopes high. She wouldn't converse with you. Not that she can." He was puzzled with the man's wordings but he have no time to think much about it. After all, he was used to Chane's limited speech.

Upham didn't tell anyone about him meeting Chane before. Endless training occupied most of his time but he always make sure not to strain or hurt his hands so much. An allowance was also given to them for medicine, food and clothing in exchange for their hard work.

After spending his days with the group and staring at Chane in his spare time, Upham discovered that she somehow lost her voice totally. He asked someone and the guy answered that she was mute ever since they met her. Upham surmised that it was caused by a trauma but after contemplating further, he abandoned this hypothesis. The only thing that can cause such trauma is if her father died in an accident. She still lives with her father when she's not on a mission. He was aware of this because Chane's father still visits her and Upham saw how Huey's body regenerates as an immortal.

If immortality is real, so is hypnothism. Upham disregarded that strange thought and took in the possibility of an operation eventhough he saw no scars in her neck. He never saw Chane use make-up to cover her scars either. Furthermore, no medicine can possibly take someone's ability to speak based on his limited knowledge. He was left with only one possibility : it was an act. Master Huey must have told her not to talk to anyone aside from him. This conclusion really enraged Upham but he couldn't do anything about it.

One day, his colleague named Neider asked him to join his team and become a traitor to the group. Upham chose not to side with him. Instead, he reported this to Goose, their leader. On their way to another location where the traitors will be punished, their group stopped at a small hotel. There, he found a chance to talk to her. He excused himself from the meeting, telling them he's going to the restroom. Chane already knew their topic in advance so she didn't come to the assembly and Upham knew where he could find her.

[ Her father was arrested for a petty crime and she found out that someone is planning to steal her father's compositions. He was the founder of the group, need I add. We have a gig out of town and I knew it wasn't the perfect time to confess but you can't blame me. That was a rare chance and hell will I let it pass. ]

When he reached the rooftop, he saw Chane in her usual military uniform-like attire. She was practicing her new moves. She looked like she's dancing and the blades glinted under the moonlit sky. It was already late in the evening and the rooftop was supposed to be locked but he knew it's not a problem for her. Chane continued her practice eventhough she was aware of his presence. Upham catched his breath.

" I'm not here to convince you to go to the meeting. I want to talk to you. The two of us, alone." He walked forward. Chane stopped and stared at him blankly. " I knew a lot about you and your father." Chane raised her knife when she heard him say father.

" C-calm down Chane. I wasn't planning anything against him. W,what I'm tryin' to say is that I saw both of you even before I joined this group. Years ago!" The lady slightly tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. " ... Maybe you don't remember me as the kid back there but I recognized you. I do, because I really love you ever since!" Chane's eyes turned wide and she parted her lips a little. Moments later, Upham brought out a harmonica from his coat. Bringing larger instrument is a bit risky so he leaves his violin on their main hideout.

Normally, Chane will charge at a person before he reaches his hands on his pocket but his confession and revelation confused her to the extent of unresponsiveness. Upham took the opportunity to play the song that they sang together when they last met. Then, he hopefully looked her straight in the eyes.

" Do you remember me now? " Chane's facial expression showed a little bit of a warm but she slowly shook her head. Upham frowned and tightened his grip on his harmonica. His hand hurts but he doesn't care anymore. " But, Chane..I.." He bit his lower lip to stop his tears from falling.

Everything he said and did just baffled her. She can't remember a thing about him and Upham can't decide what to say next. It appears to him that her voice and her memories about him were gone just like magic.

Seeing him teary-eyed and depressed drove Chane to escape the situation. She couldn't understand his intentions and she was uncertain if he's telling the truth or just saying this to get closer to her father and attain the gift of immortality. In her point of view, his tears was either caused by fear of her or her rejection. It can be both. ( Felix' proposal is a diff. case. His exuberant confidence can convince anyone. Upham, on the other hand, was too shy to even establish eye contact with her while confessing; except for the last part. ) With the air of uneasiness circling around, Chane bowed to excuse herself. Then, she walked away and left him alone. Upham let himself cry after that and he laughed bitterly to himself seconds later.

On the next few days, Upham didn't try to talk to her again. It led Chane to believe that he gave up because he's really not serious about his feelings.

**Present time**

" I stopped trying to talk to her and went back on watching her from afar. Yeah, I'm a bit of a coward. I can't face her after that dreadful night. Aside from that, a series of events happened. Our conductor disappeared and I think he's dead. We also lost funding after her father's incarceration. We disbanded and Clarisse disappeared without saying goodbye. That brings us to this day. You might say I should have given up on her but-"

" I wouldn't say that! It's because of my tenacity that I'm together with my fiance. Don't worry man, I will support you 'til the end." Upham was overwhelmed by his joyful and positive attitude. It took him a few seconds to answer.

" Haha, Thanks! It's been more than a year since I last saw her. I hope she's okay. Her father's still in prison and she is alone."

" I can relate. 'Had the same problem before. I'm just curious, what will you do if you see her again? ' Don't wanna brag or anything but when I saw my fiance at a warehouse, I asked her again to marry me right away. "

" And she said yes?! "

"... Not exactly. There are many complications, you see. I should start telling you the whole story." Upham contemplated on the idea while drinking his fruit juice.

" But you are together now. 'Better do the same." He mumbled to himself.

" Alright. Listen. Your story is good but nothing beats my own. What I'm about to tell you is the truth. I don't see the need to hide or lie to someone like you about anything. Nah, it really doesn't matter to me when you did the opposite. That's your call. Atleast you're honest about the important ones."

" Wha- I didn't promise to tell you everything! " Felix ignored him and began narrating with a lower voice.

" Okay. It all started when I met this beautiful lady on a train. I was a conductor back then because it's more covenient as an assassin. My sen-"

" Y-YOU'RE AN-"

" Shhh." Upham realized what he almost did and ate his food to calm down. He reminded himself that he shouldn't be surprised because he was once a terrorist.

After gauging that Upham will never talk again, Felix tried to resume telling his love story but...

BANG! SSRCRRACCKK.

The glass window beside them shattered into bits. Upham automatically ducked under the table. When he didn't saw Felix do the same, he got worried and peeked from the side of the table. Felix didn't move from his seat. He's holding a fork with his left hand and a big rock on his right. There were shards next to him but he looks unharmed. Everyone who didn't run outside is looking at him including the group of four men that recently entered the restaurant. Two of them have metal bats.

" That's crazy! " One guy from the group shouted. The assassin stood and faced them while juggling the stone in one hand.

" What! You think this is crazy? Then tell me, who in their right mind throws a stone in a place full of people? He almost hit Ms. Cashier there. " Felix pointed to the petrified woman behind the cash register, meters from the right side of their seat. Nobody said a word. They all knew that the rock would've hit his head first before it reaches the woman but he entirely erased himself from the scenario.

The cashier couldn't even move to dial the cops' number. Most of them are sensing what will happen next.

Upham crawled from under the table and stood beside Felix. He had a bad feeling about this and he didn't want to get involved. " Uhm, Felix...I think we should go now."

" After they interrupted my story? Not a chance." He looked back to the group and his gaze jumped from one person to another. "You!"

The man nearest to the door flinched and stepped back. He's in the corner of the room. " This belongs to you, right? CATCH! " He threw the stone high in an arching way towards his direction. The man, surprised and unable to think quickly, moved to catch or block the stone heading his way but it lightly grazed a low beam of wood on the ceiling. The trajectory changed and the stone hit him in the head. The decreased force is not enough to render him unconscious but a bump formed on his forehead afterwards.

" You should try paying more attention." The group of men became more agitated but they didn't try to attack him. A bald guy took two steps forward.

" You think you can make fun of us, huh?" Then, he yelled at the other men. " Move you idiots, he's unarmed! And you, get the cash! " The rest of the customers and waitresses raced for the other door after hearing him. The kitchen crew ran through the back door.

A man with a bat accompanied the bald guy who seems to be their leader. They walked and stopped in front of Felix. The man with a bump followed suite and drew a knife while the other man with eyeglasses and a bat proceed to the cash register. Felix was unperturbed while Upham was nervously stepping back and forth. They were only four but 99% of them were muscular and 99% were carrying weapons. They didn't bring guns to avoid attracting the cops.

" Ma'am, don't you have guards in this place?" Felix calmly asked. The cashier/owner/manager snapped back to reality.

" He-him, we fired him yesterday! We can't pay him anymore. Business is getting bad! " She answered Felix while glaring at the bald guy. " Rex! How could you do this? I treated you properly!"

" Gene, shut her up." The bald guy warmed himself up by stretching. His two underlings were just waiting for a signal to attack.

The bespectacled man jumped over the counter and to the woman's side. The middle aged woman reached for the drawer. She picked up a gun inside but she can't handle it properly. Gene easily wrestled it from her. It fell on the floor but it didn't fire.

" Dumb woman, you forgot to load it." It really has bullets but the woman won't tell him that. He attempted to open the cash register and then threatened the woman with the metal bat when he couldn't. "It's a waste to destroy this. Would you mind opening it for me? "

" Ah, excuse me ma'am. If you pay me, I'll finish them all. How's that? " The other man with a bat and the knife wielder took this as a chance to attack but Felix deftly dodged it all while making eye contact with the cashier. Gene creased his eyebrows and craned his neck towards him. The woman recovered a bit.

" H,how much? I told you, we're on the brink of bankrupcy!"

" Felix, Now's not a time for business! "

" I do business even on top of moving trains. That's how I first proposed to my fiance." Upham scratched his head.

" It's not the time for jokes either! "

" I'm serious. " Felix dodged a swinging bat and sprang towards the counter in lightning speed. None of them saw what he did to knock out Gene but the man completely stopped moving for the rest of the day. He didn't even twitch the whole time. If we put it in slow motion, Felix handchopped Gene on the back of his head- simple as that but not too strong to kill him. " Now you can focus on the transaction."

Shocked and feeling uneasy, the woman had to lean on the counter for support. " Sorry. The money in the register are small bills. Those customers haven't paid yet and my income and savings are not enough to cover the damages and pay you. I'm also a widow with no children or relative. There's no one who could help me with this mess...but please I need your service. I'll pay you someday."

" That's a pity." Felix tapped his index finger on his head. Then, he raised it after a moment." Reminds me, I also haven't paid for our food yet. Our bill should cover it. Yeah, since this job is too easy. I'll just knock them out. Do we have a deal ma'am?" The woman just nodded profusely for lack of better words. Felix smiled and shook her hand. " As a bonus, I'll also protect your remaining furnitures for free. So just rest now and take a seat. If you want you can call the-"

" Are you finished with your chit chat? I don't think I can hold this anymore !" Upham shouted from the other side of the establishment. When Felix left a while back, the bat holder and the knife wielder ganged up on him. He's not as skilled as Felix. That is why he had to evade more than attack. He ended up on the far side after a few minutes of running and escaping.

" Good job directing them away from here partner. Hang in there! "

As Felix stepped out of the counter, a fist almost landed on his face. He bent backwards and avoided it in the nick of time.

" Thought you'll have me waiting forever." Rex said coolly. He released a series of punches later but none of it hit the assassin.

" Forever? I admire your dedication but I don't think Chane will appreciate that. " He dropped down and tripped him. Rex fell down hard on his back. Before Felix could fully stand, the man with a bat appeared on his back and tried to strike him. The man was sure he would hit his head but with a blink of an eye, Felix disappeared on thin air. Before he could see him, the assailant received a blow on his solar plexus and his eyes rolled at the back of his head instantly. By this time, Rex has fully recovered. He tried for an assault but a quick straight punch from Felix, put him to sleep.

Felix turned his sight to Upham's side. He is doing well avoiding the swings of knife from his attacker but a few more step will drive him to the corner. Felix was about to interfere when he saw a peculiar shine in his companion's eyes. Upham produced a small knife from his coatpocket. He ducked low to elude the man's attack. Then, he charged at him and slashed at the man's breast. He kicked him in the stomach, jumped and landed with his knee on the man's torso, his knife pointed at the attacker's neck. The man is down for the count so he stood up and put the foldable knife back to his pocket. Eventhough his move was unpolished, it reminded Felix of his fiance and because of that, he wants to go to her side as soon as possible.

" Great! We're done here." He gestured for Upham to join him. The young man followed. Felix hook an arm on his neck and messed his neat black hair.

" Hey stop, will you !" Felix did as he say and grinned at him.

" I didn't know orchestras also teach self-defense. You won't see someone doing that move just about anywhere! Man, if you're using a bigger knife or if you're a little bit stronger, you would have killed that guy. You're even at the same level as Firo on our younger years."

" Of course, I'm nothing compared to you. You're the best fighter I ever saw!" (Upham only saw Felix fight in his normal state but it still made an impact to him.) He deflected the attention away from himself.

" I wouldn't deny the fact but that leads us to a nagging issue. How many fighters have you encountered to say that? " Upham awkwardly smiled. Felix arrogance is acceptable to him but the assassin keeps going back to the topic about his past.

" Well, ah..just a few. I guess. "

The woman intervened just before Felix could grill him. " Thank you for helping me but you two must leave before the policemen arrive. You looked like men with shady businesses. "

" Not you too ma'am! You've got to believe me, I have real jobs now! " He was exasperated and lost his composure.

Felix put a hand on his shoulder and urged him to walk. " Do you want to stay here and explain the same thing to the officers? " Upham understood and nodded so Felix released him and humbly talked to his employer. " Goodbye ma'am. It's nice working with you. I hope you can get back to business in the shortest time possible." With that, they left the restaurant and didn't utter a word to each other until they reached another road. It's enough for Upham to clear his thoughts. Felix broke the silence.

" You owe me your real story. Next time we meet, I'll also tell you mine."

" I knew I'll always be caught in trouble as long as I'm with you but fine, I'll look forward to that. And ya, the truth, no problem. I think I can trust you now. You're an ok guy and I won't mind being a friend to you." Upham smiled for real.

" And the center of the world welcomes you too. I hope I can introduce you to Chane as well. " Upham couldn't believe the name he heard.

" Who?!"

" My fiance! She's perfect. You should meet her. I'm on my way to see her now but I know you can't come with me because of your duty. But no worries, If I put my mind to it, that will happen eventually." Upham found it difficult to ask about his fiance's name again without being annoying. He dismissed what he heard and counted it as one of his hallucinations for missing Chane. After all, what are the odds of that?

They stopped walking when they reached the crossroad. Felix pointed to the left street. " My way's right there, you?"

" Straight ahead."

Felix crossed his arms. " So this is goodbye. We will meet again if my world allows it. But if not, I'll promise that you will forever remain in my memory."

" Same here and I wish for your happiness with your soon to be wife. Bye." Upham was about to leave but Felix' concern stopped him.

" What about you? Any leads about your girl?"

" For the past few months, I only reached dead ends but I'm far from giving up because she is as impor-" Felix raised a hand.

" Wait, hold on. Why didn't I remember this earlier.."

"...Huh?"

" Heard about the Daily Days Newspaper? "

" Yes, but.. I can't just post her name on the newspaper. Come on! And if you're about to suggest posters next-"

" Hey give me a minute here pal. For starters, Daily Days is not just a newspaper agency. That's a front for the real deal. Truth is, those guys are the best at gathering informations. They may even be the best in the world. Take my word for it. " Felix looks like a sales person selling something to an unsuspecting buyer.

" Okay, okay...Let me clear this up to you. I know about them being information brokers it just didn't come to my mind that you know about that too. Pretty stupid of me. 'Course you know, you're part of the underground. "

" Then why? Money matters? No informations you can exchange? Well, I have another method in mind but you're incapable of doing that."

" ...I had an interview with one of them last year but by that time, I have just miraculously survived an incident and that almost put my mind upside down. I told them the information they need and they paid me with cash. I don't know about the exchange thing before and I'm penniless to buy informations later." Upham sat on a nearby bench. Felix stayed standing.

" I got it. So you wanted to see her but you didn't want her to see you in your pathetic state. Another thing is you're not sure what to do if you found her. You should have asked that to the broker automatically. When you finally recovered, your cash is not enough and you have zero information to provide them. And now, you're saving money but you still have conflicting emotions. Those emotions are causing heavy traffic in your fate pal. Get your acts straight."

" Whoa,what the hell? You're really good at this! Are you reading my mind? "

" It's only natural for me to know a lot of things in my world if I wanted to." Upham sighed heavily and stood up.

" That's it. You're really sick in the head you know that? But it's nice talking to you." Upham walked away, waving his hand as he go.

" Goodluck on your search." Felix mumbled then he smiled and turned to his seperate path.

The restaurant owner went home to her middle class family, unaware that she didn't completely fool the assassin. He got free meals after all. He originally planned to help her without asking for compensation if she only told him the truth. The register is full of cash. He found that out by the sound coming from it when the bespectacled man tried to open it.

Their business reopened a few days later with it's new guard.

The whole gang from before was sent into jail.

The assassin met his fiance and had a nice long chat about the aspiring musician.

The aspiring musician went back and cooked dinner while thinking about Chane who is also the assassin's fiance. Recalling all the events, it occured to him that it is possible that Chane is the assassin's fiance but he chose to disregard it again.

One year and a few months after, the gang will manage to escape their prison but the assassin's fiance will send them back there.

In three years time, the aspiring musician, the assassin and his fiance will cross paths again in a large scale war. A war in New York which will involve hired killers, psychopaths, mafias, cammoristas, immortals, incomplete immortals, mortals, politicians, law officers, terrorists, alchemists, scientists, hommonculus and the likes (did I miss someone?)

**FIN**


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